ELKHORN, Wis. — Infants have been left in all manner of locations — malls, doorsteps, alleyways. Some have succumbed to the elements, and some have not.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes aim to prevent infant deaths from illegal abandonment by installing safe locations for parents to surrender their newborns without putting them in harm’s way.
Elkhorn will open Wisconsin’s second baby box Monday at the Elkhorn Area Fire Department at 13 S. Broad St.Fire stations have long been known as a location for parents to leave babies they may not be able to care for, and baby boxes add an additional layer of protection by keeping the baby out of the elements.
It works similarly to a locker, where the front door can be opened, the newborn can be placed inside and when the door is closed it will lock only to be accessed by authorized first responders.
The boxes are safe for the infants to be placed inside with plenty of oxygen and space available.
Baby boxes are also designed to be an anonymous and judgment-free process for the parents.
Surrendered infants can be adopted.
There are currently 291 Safe Haven Baby Boxes across 20 states. The organization also has a national crisis line that has helped with over 150 hand-off surrenders since its start in 2016.
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